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Air Commodore A D Panton (33331)


Alastair Dyson              b:  2 Nov 1916                    r: 18 Dec 1971                     d:  29 Dec 2002

CB – 14 Jun 1969, OBE – 2 Jan 1950, DFC – 8 Mar 1940, MiD - 13 Jun 1946.

Plt Off: 18 Dec 1937, Fg Off: 18 Jun 1939, Act Flt Lt: 5-17 Jun 1940, Flt Lt (WS): 3 Sep 1940, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Jan 1946 [1 Dec 1941], Flt Lt: 21 May 1946 [18 Jun 1941], Sqn Ldr: 1 Oct 1946,  Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1949, Act Gp Capt: xx xxx 1954?, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1961, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1967.

 9 Jan 1936:            Flight Cadet, 'B' Sqn, RAF College.

18 Dec 1937:          Pilot, No 53 Sqn. (Hector I/Blenheim IV)

 7 Feb 1938:           Attended No 48 Course, School of Army Co-operation

xx xxx -27 Jan 1939    Attended School of Air Navigation, RAF Manston

14 Jul 1940:            Prisoner of War.

 1 Oct 1946:           Officer Commanding, No 58 Sqn. (Mosquito PR34/Anson C19)

xx Dec 1947:          Officer Commanding, No 540 Sqn. (Mosquito PR34)

xx xxx 1948:           Air Staff, AHQ Hong Kong.

xx xxx 1951:           OC Flying, RAF Coningsby.

15 Jun 1954:          Staff Officer, Directorate of Intelligence (B)

17 Jun 1957:           Unit Commander, RAF Cranwell.

26 Jul 1960:            Senior Personnel Staff Officer, HQ Signals Command.

 6 Nov 1961:          Officer Commanding, RAF Bircham Newton.

19 Dec 1962:          Officer Commanding, RAF Tern Hill.

 9 Jul 1965:             Group Captain - Organisation, HQ Far East Air Force.

15 Jun 1967

24 Sep 1968:          Director of Personal Services (Provost Marshal).

xx xxx xxxx:            Provost Marshal/Director of Provost and Security Services (Provost Marshal).

He represented the RAF College at Cricket, Rugby and attained the rank of Under Officer. 

Having been shot down by Bf109s on 11 May 1940, he returned to the UK on 21 May 1940 resuming operations with a new crew, his original crew having been injured on 11 May, only to be shot down by flak again over Belgium on 30 May.  He managed to bail out over the UK, landing hard with a burning parachute, and the following day was shot down, yet again, this time by British troops at Dunkirk, but was able to make a forced-landing on the beach. He then returned to France on 5 June as in charge of a flight of three Blenheims supporting the Allied forces GHQ on reconnaissance duties, returning to 53 Sqn in the UK on 17 June. Back with No 53 Sqn, he was carrying out an operation against an oil depot in Ghent on 14 July 1940 in Blenheim IV, N3551, when he was brought down, once more but this time and taken prisoner.  Sgt A E Farrow was also captured but Sgt L H Stride was either killed before or during the crash.  He was eventually placed in Stalag Luft III, being liberated on 22 April 1945.  His niece is Joanna Lumley, the actress and Ghurkha campaigner.

This page was last updated on 28/03/24

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